A ‘Standard Reformed’ View of John 3:16

Let's examine the case and move beyond shibboleth and sound-byte

Appendix 1: A ‘Standard Reformed’ View of John 3:16

Peter Kek Wen Jen (formerly the pastor of Puchong Grace Church [now known as Grace Reformed Church) quoted a well-known theologian supporting his ‘standard reformed position.’ After quoting many others, he said: “Let me quote one more man – W. Hendriksen. In commenting on John 3:16 he says: “In order to receive this everlasting life one must believe in God’s only begotten Son. It is important, however, to take note of the fact that Jesus mentions the necessity of regeneration before he speaks about faith. The work of God within the soul ever precedes the work of God in which the soul cooperates. And because faith is, accordingly, the gift of God, its fruit, everlasting life, is also God’s gift. God gave his Son; he gives us the faith to embrace the Son; he gives us everlasting life as a reward for the exercise of this faith. To him be the glory forever and ever!”

“What do you say? Do you disagree with him also? I think bro. Lam has said some excellent things in his posts. Now you may like to reply to him. Sing, it is time-consuming to interact like this. But love constrains me! “[End quote]

===========

I replied: “I am thankful that your love constrained you to interact… You asked me for my opinion of Hendriksen’s commentary on John 3:16. Do I agree with him? You decide! Here it goes. See some brief comments. I hope you will read carefully my reply to Brother Lam’s Theological Paper. 
[note: Mr Lam was the theological spokesman for the group of RB pastors; he has since returned to his Methodist church.] 

Let's deal with the great theologian you have quoted:

H: In order to receive this everlasting life one must believe in God’s only begotten Son…

SL: The first statement is already wrong and inconsistent! Belief in God’s only begotten Son is evidence that the believing person is already regenerated and possesses eternal life. The author admits as much when he acknowledges the necessity of regeneration before faith! How does one without life (spiritual and eternal) ever believe? If it is one who has been regenerated with eternal life that can believe, then it is plainly wrong and inconsistent to say that one must believe in order to receive eternal life. It is one who is already in the kingdom of God by virtue of the sovereign regeneration that is able to believe.
[It is discovered later that the ‘standard reformed’ position holds that regeneration is the birth of spiritual abilities, not the birth of spiritual life!]

H: It is important, however, to take note of the fact that Jesus mentions the necessity of regeneration before he speaks about faith.

SL: Hendriksen made a correct qualification here… but failed to see the implication of his own qualification. He went on to speak as though he had NOT made any qualification at all! What happens at regeneration? It is the begetting of life that is spiritual and eternal, and not some spiritual abilities. Life – spiritual and eternal - is given to make believing possible. How could life be a reward for the exercise of this faith when it is the eternal life that makes the exercise of faith possible! Spiritual abilities without spiritual life are just plain nonsensical. “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Who does the Holy Spirit regenerate? How does the Holy Spirit regenerate? "Regeneration is a creative, a hyper-physical operation of the Holy Spirit, by which man is brought from a condition of spiritual death into a condition of spiritual life,” says Berkhof. And what is the outward evidence of regeneration? Faith in Jesus Christ!

H: The work of God within the soul ever precedes the work of God in which the soul cooperates.

SL: There is much truth in this statement. The work of God in giving life to the dead soul precedes the work of God in which the soul responds. The soul can only cooperate after it has been made alive! But the statement is a deficient and potentially MISLEADING statement. I would say it is very unfortunate that the author uses the word co-operates. I believe the correct and biblical word is "respond". In what way does a man ‘CO-OPERATE’ in the work of God of saving him? In what way does a man cooperate to receive eternal life? Did he cooperate by believing??? The word co-operates means ‘to work or act together, to be of assistance or to be willing to assist.’ It speaks of the contribution on the part of man in his salvation. Man does not co-operate in his salvation. A man responds to the salvation imparted to him by pure grace alone. You can dismiss this as semantics if you like. But you have asked me for my opinion. But Hendriksen’s deliberate and judicious choice of the word ‘co-operates’ only reflects the inherent inconsistency and deficiency of the standard reformed theology. It is the soul in which God has given life, quickened from being dead in trespasses and sins that can respond to God’s work of regeneration to produce fruit in the life of a believer. The responses are the saving graces that accompanied the salvation bestowed by free grace.

H: And because faith is, accordingly, the gift of God…, its fruit, everlasting life, is also God’s gift.

SL: He correctly says that bot faith in Christ and eternal life are the gifts of God. But please note carefully what standard reformed theology is saying now: your everlasting life is the fruit of your personal faith!!! If this is indeed standard reformed theology, then, to me, it is a lie, a big lie, and a very serious lie – plain and simple. Brothers, if you want to hold on to the standard reformed position, please go ahead. That’s your liberty. We have to part ways on this one. I have nothing more to say but this: an elect believes because he has been given eternal life. An elect does not believe in order to obtain eternal life. He believes because he has been given eternal life. Concerning faith as the gift of God, many are deceived to imagine that God gives this spiritual gift to those who are still under condemnation, i.e. not justified. They are also misled that the gift of faith is given to those who are still spiritually dead, i.e. not regenerated and adopted as sons. What is the use of giving a spiritual gift to one under condemnation and spiritually dead? They are ignorant of the simple truth that the gift of faith is given to justified living sons. The Scriptures says, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” Gal 4:6.

H: God gave his Son; he gives us the faith to embrace the Son; he gives us everlasting life as a reward for the exercise of this faith.

SL: So, this is the standard reformed position – God gives everlasting life as a reward for the exercise of this faith. IF (a very big ‘if’) this is the standard reformed position, then I have rejected it and left it for good. I have left this standard reformed view on this. In case any man misunderstands, let me say that I still believe the teaching of Scriptures as summarized in the 1689 – and believe that the eternal life bestowed by free grace enabled an elect to believe in Christ. A reward is no more of grace. A reward is of work. “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt” Romans 4:4. I believe salvation is wholly by grace, evidenced through faith. God gave His Son for all His elect. Christ died to redeem them. His righteousness is legally imputed to all the elect – retrospectively, currently and prospectively at the cross. At God’s appointed and approved time, He is pleased to effectually call them individually out of that state of sin and death which they are in by nature, to grace and salvation in Christ. Those whom the Father called, the Holy Spirit regenerated unto spiritual and eternal life. And that eternal life manifests itself in personal faith in Christ Jesus through the ministry of the gospel.

H: To him be the glory forever and ever!

SL: This is just a pious ‘standard reformed’ shibboleth and an inconsistent one! The truth is, half of the glory rightly belongs to him who cooperated with God to obtain his reward of eternal life.

Love you all, and with all due respect to Hendriksen. Sorry, he is not around to defend himself. Perhaps Peter Kek or Lam Chin Kaw would like to put up a defence on Hendriksen’s behalf. 

Sing.

copied from here:
https://pruning-deformed-branches.blogspot.com/2008/01/standard-reformed-view-of-john-316.html

An error does not become truth because the majority share in it

An error does not become truth because...

27 December 2022

Initially posted here: 
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10221667060721285&set=a.10204411521703594

An error does not become truth because...
- your favourite Reverends, Elders, Pastors or some D.D. Reformed Theologians believe it...
- you have always believed it...
- you have defended it with your life
- etc.

For example, the popular sola fide, your justification before God by your faith alone, is simply and plainly wrong even though Luther and a host of revered Protestant Reformed theologians and their devout followers believe the same.

Romans 3:24 KJT
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

The BASIS of justification is the redemption of Christ Jesus; Christ secured the righteousness necessary for the justification of justly condemned sinners. Sin brought condemnation; righteousness is the prerequisite for justification.

The MANNER that righteousness, of God's own provision in Jesus Christ, is applied to an elect personally, when still dead in trespasses and sins, is freely by the grace of God alone. Why? An elect can't meet any condition while in his unjustified condemned state.

The INSTRUMENT/means to experience the blessedness of that justified state, freely by God's grace, is through faith in Jesus Christ; it's not through observing any ceremonial laws. Ask Father Abraham!

It's "the just (those freely justified by God) shall live by faith"; it's not by faith the unjustified (i.e. still under condemnation) is justified; they are not the same.
Move beyond soundbite, please.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJT
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

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Comments:

Brenda
Agree

Fred
Is there a reformed Bible teacher that didn’t teach a… Grace plus works gospel?

Sing
I don't know because I don't know EVERY "reformed Bible teacher."

Of the few I have known, none can distinguish eternal salvation by grace and temporal salvation through obedience to the Father's will.

Fred
Thanks, brother!

Roger
AMEN !!!!! EXACTLY !!!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏💖💖💖🙏🙏🙏🙏

Ann
Truth is not a matter of (human) authority nor majority will. I was taught this as a tenet of logical thought when I was 13. It stands in the study of doctrine as well as so many other fields of thought.

  

Ephesians 2:1-9 “By grace… through faith”

 

Ephesians 2:1-9 “By grace… through faith”

Whose and what faith?

"8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 not of works, lest any man should boast."

v8 is so often quoted to mean that a man is saved by grace through faith, i.e. his act of believing.

Read the passage with a dose of common sense, and you will see some obvious reasons why such understanding plainly contradicts the passage.

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Some preliminary observations:

a. “by grace” speaks of the MANNER God saves. It is God who saves in and through His Son Jesus Christ.
- God saves by grace, His free and sovereign grace; “by grace” excludes activities/works of man by man.
- Rom 11:6 grace and works are mutually exclusive in the salvation of sinners.

b. “through faith” speaks of the MEANS through/by which salvation is freely bestowed, i.e. by grace.

c. Quickening one dead in trespasses and sins is the bestowal of eternal salvation… saved by grace, v1.5,8.

Let us unpack the passage by asking some relevant questions:

Q1. What state were you in when were you saved by grace through faith?
- v5 “we were dead in sins…”
- v1 “who were dead in trespasses and sins”
- Dead concerning any ability to bring himself to God; hostile and in enmity against Him. “by nature the children of wrath.” Under the dominion of the prince of the power of the air

Q2. When you were dead in sins, were you able to exercise faith to believe in Christ?
- No.   
- John 3:3,6; 1Cor 2:14

Q3. Supposing faith is the gift of God, is the gift of faith to a spiritually dead man of any use to him?  
- No.

Q4. Do you believe in a God who would give the gift of faith to a spiritually dead man so that he could exercise that faith in order to be saved by His grace?
- No.
- Faith is NOT the gift; Salvation by Jesus Christ is the gift.
- A gift comes to you from without; Faith is a fruit of the Spirit, worked within a child of God. Gal 5:22.

Q5. What then is the gift of God? What is by grace?
- Eternal salvation is by grace; the context speaks of salvation by God's grace.
- Salvation is freely bestowed, applied to an elect when he was dead in trespasses and sins, incapable of faith.

Q6. What is the ground and basis of this gift of God?
- It is the finished work of Christ in redeeming His people.
- It is by His life (active obedience to secure righteousness) and death (passive obedience to secure the forgiveness of sins). Heb 9:12, 15

Q7 "... through faith..."
- is a man's act of believing in Christ performed by him?  Yes.
- is an act performed by a man his work? Yes.
- if a man is saved by grace through his act of believing, then isn't he saved by grace through his own work? Yes
- “NOT of works" :- John 6:28-9    - 1 John 3:23    

Q8. Why does "by grace" necessarily remove "through faith" from any association with man's exercise of faith?
- Rom 11:6 grace and works are mutually exclusive in the eternal salvation of sinners.
- So, “through faith” can have NOTHING to do with the believing act of man.

Q9. If a man is saved by grace through his act of believing, then he has at least some valid ground to boast, hasn't he?
- Yes, indeed.
- Then “through faith” CANNOT be associated with any activities of man. Otherwise, contradicts “lest any man…”

Q10. If he did not perform his act of believing, would he be saved by grace through his faith?
- No.
- Therefore “through faith” CANNOT be associated with any activities of man; otherwise, it’s through his works.

Q11. Since it's not through your act of faith, then you are saved through WHOSE faith, and WHAT is that faith?
- The faith OF Christ
- The faithfulness of Jesus Christ in his fulfilling all the conditions in saving/redeeming His people.

Q12. Have you read of the “faith of Christ," i.e. His faithfulness in executing the work of redeeming those given to Him by the Father?
- Romans 3:22 
- Galatians 2:16; 2:20; 3:22 
- Philippians 3:9

This is the gospel truth that has been repudiated in almost all modern translations. Check for yourself.

We are on a battlefield!

Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.

Dec 5, 2013
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10201108197162545&set=a.10201108195522504

This is no picnic ground... We are on a battlefield!

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12

We are in a war. If you are a spiritually minded child of God, you have enemies that you must be prepared to deal with.

Forget men in black or smoke-filled rooms of human conspirators that Hollywood portrays. These are angelic beings of great power and might. Read the book of Daniel and you will see their involvement in guiding the affairs of nations. Read the first few chapters of Job and you will see their leader, Satan, working in the life of a great saint of The Lord.

No Sig Sauer, AR15, or body armour of human construction means anything in this combat. This is a spiritual battle that is fought using different weapons. Those weapons and defences are not our concern today. The reality of the war and the nature of the opponents is.

Do you live with this is mind, that you have enemies that are actively seeking your spiritual destruction? If you were in Iraq or Afghanistan you would take precautions each day to protect your life against a determined enemy. Do you take the precautions to protect your spiritual life each day?

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

We have a wise and powerful opponent, the Devil. He seduced our uncorrupted parents into sin in minutes (Gen 3). He is active today. Are you taking appropriate precautions against him?

Peter tells us that the Devil is active in the world. He is like a ravenous lion on the prowl. He is looking for easy prey to attack. Because of this, we must be ready.

Our first thought should be to recognize the serious nature of our adversary. This is not a time to rest, relax or play games. Sober thought needs to be a characteristic of our lives to face a serious, life-threatening enemy. Without careful, serious planning we can easily fall into his hands.

As in any warfare, we must be on guard. A clever enemy will attack with stealth, disguising his appearance and movements. So we must be ever vigilant, alert, and actively looking for him and his influence. Soldiers in combat know to never let their attention waver, so we must keep up our watch against Satan's attacks.

By Newell Eastland
============

Charles Page
"These are angelic beings of great power and might. Read the book of Daniel and you will see their involvement in guiding the affairs of nations. Read the first few chapters of Job and you will see their leader, Satan, working in the life of a great saint of The Lord."

Sing, please elaborate on this in an A-Mil context. Is Satan on the loose today and involved in guiding the affairs of the nations? asking as a disciple and not a discipler!

Bruce Hatcher
All those listed are obviously for defence...and then some might point out the sword. But, it is further described as, "the word of God," and as such, we use it as a defensive weapon, as well. When Christ is being tempted by satan he defends each attack with scripture. How often do we see the Lord attacking offensively with the Word? Spiritual Wickedness in High Places is not far removed...it is within me and is that the battle this is all about?

Sing F Lau
The specific end Satan was bound for "1000 years" is stated very clearly and precisely - "that he should deceive the nations no more." In that specific sense, Satan is bound.

Prior to the binding of Satan by Christ, nations (gentiles of all ethnic groups) were in darkness, under the deception of the Devil. After the binding, nations are liberated and enlightened by the gospel. People groups represented by you and me are proof of that.

That does not exclude Satan's continued mischief in the affairs of man!

Do you have the gospel without the righteousness of Christ?

(Read some notions spouted on a reformed group on Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/775537956487669/posts/1492075451500579/ 

Sing F Lau
No righteousness of Christ, no gospel.

Romans 1
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Jeff Thomas
Righteousness of God is the imputed (charged to the account) righteousness in the remission of sins.

God declares the account is no longer unrighteous in the matter that was forgiven.

The Gospel is the good news regarding the remission of sins.

Sing F Lau
The good news regarding the remission of sins is based solely and wholly on Christ's perfect obedience (securing the righteousness for our justification) and death (enduring the wrath of God for our forgiveness.).

No righteousness of Christ, no gospel.

Romans 1
16 ¶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

For THEREIN (i.e. in the gospel) is the righteousness OF God's provision in Jesus Christ revealed from faith (that of the preacher who is not ashamed to preach the gospel) to faith (that of an effectually called elect who needs to be converted through the hearing of the gospel).

Jeff Thomas
You're inventing theosophy there. And you preached heresy...

Jesus's obedience to accomplish the sin offering is righteousness, but the righteousness imputed to men by God is not his righteousness in obedience.

God recompenses unto every man according to his deeds (Romans 2:6). The righteousness and or unrighteousness of men is according to their own deeds.

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

The forgiveness of sins results in unrighteousness being cleansed or washed away and, the sentence due for sin is remitted. When unrighteousness is washed away, it leaves the person righteous or cleansed in the matter. This is imputed righteousness. God doesn't give someone else's good deeds to you, he forgives sins. Remission is via Christ. Hence it's the righteousness of God... God charges the account which was in sin no longer unrighteous in the matter that's forgiven.

Jesus never suffered any wrath, what a moronic anti-Christ ideology.

To suffer wrath the person must be imputed unrighteousness (charged with doing iniquity). Jesus was never charged with iniquity. Wrath is "the just punishment for a crime" (sin). God, who Jesus is, can't execute wrath on an innocent, that would make God, who Jesus is, unjust and himself, full of iniquity. And since Jesus is God, your imbecilic doctrine is teaching God executed wrath on himself... and that again would mean Jesus is wicked for doing injustice.

Christ is the sin offering and scapegoat offering. By his death, which was not punishment for he laid his life down, God conciliated mercy, a propitious disposition. God tasted death of the flesh or body and it moved him to be pitious to sinners who are condemned to immediate execution of death and therefore to be put to death in the flesh. He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. A propitiation is required to make propitious (gracious and merciful). So all that sin are preserved from destruction because of the mercies of God which he, God, conciliated in and through Christ. The death of Christ wasn't punishment (wrath) any more than the death of Stephen or Paul..

Because sinners have mercy, they continue to live. Because they continue to live, they CAN seek the remission of sins and by the remission of sins, the sentence of death is remitted... God surrenders his right to punish (remittance).

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news that the Saviour, taught to Adam and mankind, has come according to the scriptures. He was provided to be the propitiation for sins. Through Christ, sinners can obtain the remission of sins.

The righteousness of God is the remission of sins, God declares the forgiven sinner is no longer unrighteous.

Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

And there is no "effectual called elect" (smh). Your invented religiosity is nauseating.

Election in scripture refers to serving and servants called to some serving purpose. The Biblical elect are the Jews.

Sing F Lau
Sin is the transgression of God's law and brings condemnation and death.

Righteousness is obedience to God's law, and secured justification and life.

Romans 5:18 KJV — Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Jeff Thomas
You're an unlearned man.

The word "justify" and its variants mean to show or prove to be conformed to something.

JUSTIFY, v.t. [L. justus, just, and facio, to make.]

1. To prove or show to be just, or conformable to...

JUSTIFY, v.i. to suit; to conform exactly; in printing to form an even surface or true line with something else.

God wants all men without exception to be without blame... without sin. In the forgiveness of sins a person is declared without blame, without sin, without unrighteousness in that matter of forgiveness. They are therefore 'justified' or made or shown to be conformed exactly to what God wants for them I'm that matter.

In Romans 5:18 the phrase "justification unto life" is referring to be made conformed to live since the wages of sin is death (put to death in the flesh) and requires mercy in order to not be destroyed (Lamentations 3:22).

The free gift is the grace and mercy of God. This propitious disposition was won, gained or conciliated by the death of the sin offering. Christ's obedience in laying down his life to be the sin offering and atone for the Omnipresence of God, is what obtained the very mercy that every human being without exception enjoys all the days of their lives.

The free gift is grace. Grace is common to all men. All men, without exception, are by the grace of God, justified unto life.

"When I see the blood I will pass over you"

If a man is drawing the breath of life, it's because the Destroyer is passing over them for all have sinned and the wages of sin is death.

No Calvinist has ever had a clue what Romans 5 is teaching...

Sing F Lau
Thank you for demonstrating that you are a learned man.

"The free gift is grace. Grace is common to all men. All men without exception are by the grace of God, justified unto life...'

These are learned statements indeed!

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p/s 
"The free gift is grace."
The free gift is eternal salvation; grace speaks of the manner eternal salvation is bestowed to justly condemned sinners, i.e. freely without any condition.

"Grace is common to all men."
Grace is particular; God elected to save a particular people; Christ secured eternal salvation for the same particular people; the Spirit of God applies eternal salvation to the same particular people individually who were dead in trespasses and sin. 

"All men without exception are by the grace of God, justified unto life." If this were true, then hell and the Lake of fire is a big lie. 

What happens to the spirit at death?

"There is a particular judgment
which is immediately after death;
by virtue of which,
the souls of men are condemned
 to their proper state of happiness or woe."

November 10, 2023 

What happens to the spirit at death?

Hebrews 9 KJT
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Ecclesiastes 12 KJT
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

I was musing on these well-known passages, and some questions came to mind.

i. Does the statement in verse 27 include all men, including God's redeemed people? Do God's redeemed people face a judgement before God after death?

ii. Is the judgment spoken of a judgment immediately after each man's death or the final judgment at the distant end of the gospel age?
- Hardly any believe or preach the former anymore though most believe the latter.

iii. Is there a judgment at the end of a man's life on earth?
- I believe that Heb 9:27 declares this obvious truth. At death, the spirit of each man shall return to God for judgment.

iv. What is the basis of this judgment?
- The basis is every man according to their works.
- The basis of the final judgment is according to whether a man's name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

v. Who is the judge in this judgement?
- God Himself. The spirit shall return to God who gave it to face the said judgement in Heb 9:27.
- Christ shall be the judge during the final judgment. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." It shall be a judgment WITHOUT reference to sin for the redeemed but unto glorification. Heb 9:28

This judgment determines where the man's spirit goes during the intermediate state between his physical death and the resurrection on the last day: either paradise or hell.

When was the last time you heard a sermon that there shall be a judgment for God's children immediately after their death and that this judgement shall determine where their spirits shall be during the intermediate state - either in paradise or in hell, awaiting their resurrection unto eternal glory.

---------

I checked John Gill's commentary on the second half of verse 27; he said thus:

"but after this the judgment"
- the last and general judgment, which will reach to all men, quick and dead, righteous and wicked, and in which Christ will be Judge. There is a particular judgment which is immediately after death; by virtue of which, the souls of men are condemned to their proper state of happiness or woe; and there is an universal judgment, which will be after the resurrection of the dead, and is called eternal judgment, and to come; this is appointed by God, though the time when is unknown to men; yet nothing is more certain, and it will be a righteous one."

Note his words, "There is a particular judgment which is immediately after death; by virtue of which, the souls of men are condemned to their proper state of happiness or woe."

During the intermediate state, the state of happiness is in paradise and the place of woe is in hell.

During the eternal state, the state of happiness is in heaven and the place of woe is in the lake of fire.

Protestant Man-made Doctrine - sola fidei

 

#protestant_traditions

Even so, many Protestants preach MAN-MADE DOCTRINES that say that so soon as an unjustified man believes, he is justified by his faith - the popular sola fidei, justification by faith alone.

It is obvious that this is a fable. An unjustified man is a man STILL in his native state of sin and condemnation of death; in such a state he is simply incapable of faith.

Only a man freely justified by the grace of God, i.e. only one to whom God HAS FREELY accounted the righteousness of Christ is capable of believing. The accounting of the righteousness of Christ to a condemned man in the justification of life gives divine warrant for the Spirit of God in regenerating the justified. Regeneration is logically followed by the adoption into the family of God accompanied the bestowal of the Spirit of adoption. This indwelling Spirit works in the justified fruit of the Spirit, of which faith is one.

Faith is an effect of justification by the free grace of God.

Romans 5:18 KJT
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Faith is the means/instrument to manifest the justification by the free grace of God. This has been twisted and perverted into faith as the means/instrument to obtain justification from God.

Dr John Gill on faith and justification:
"Faith is not the cause, but an effect of justification; it is not the cause of it in any sense; it is not the moving cause, that is the free grace of God... nor even the instrumental cause... it is not in any class of causes whatever, but it is the effect of justification... Now if faith is not the cause, but the effect of justification; then as every cause is before its effect, and every effect follows its cause, justification must be before faith, and faith must follow justification."

~~ A Body of Doctrinal Divinity Book II, Chapter V, section II. (1769)

Can the matter be stated any clearer?

An effect manifests, declares, demonstrates, and vindicates the cause of that effect.

Since "any teaching in the Church must be based on the Scriptures Alone," let's have it then:

Rom 3:24 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

The BASIS of God justifying the justly condemned:
- it's "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

The MANNER of God justifying the justly condemned:
- IT IS "freely by his grace."
- IT IS NOT by faith, much less by faith alone.

Faith manifests the justified state by the free grace of God JUST AS breath demonstrates life.

Stop being deceived!

Choose the Good Part

November 9, 2023

#prayingmantis

#choosethegoodpart

After our midweek Wednesday Bible study last night, while I was closing the roller
shutter (we meet in a 20' x52' shop lot on the first floor), this praying mantis landed on my left shoulder. It whispered into my ear, "Choose the Good Part"

Brief notes for the Bible study are pasted below.

Luke 10 KJT
38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

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We were looking at Luke 10: 38-42

a. Jesus and His disciples are travelling to Jerusalem and arriving at Bethany, a village several km east of Jerusalem.
- In Bethany, they entered the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. It is in the context of this humble home of some of His dearest disciples that the narrative in this paragraph took place.
- There is a close connection between the previous parable and the present narrative. Be a loving neighbour is wonderful; but active love for the Lord is better, see v27. And the most basic expression of the love for the Lord our God is to be attentive to Him and His words.
- Yet this is one thing most commonly forgotten or neglected by many believers, you and me.

b. Well, Martha did a very commendable thing - she gladly received the Lord into her home, something commendable.
- But after she has welcomed the Lord into her home, what did she do? She gets busy preparing a meal for the Lord and His company. No doubt she does it all with a genuine desire to please the Lord, as an expression of her love and devotion to Him. But does the Lord approve of what she does?
- The spiritual malady brought to our attention by the Lord Jesus Christ is obvious; we are often sincerely distracted by many things which are unnecessary distractions.
- Let us consider our subject under three headings. The Lord has these to say to us…

1. Beware of Many Distractionz
a. The reality and constant danger distractions.

 b. The meaning of 'distracted':
- 'peris-taoo', in the passive, is 'letting yourself drawn or pulled in every direction...' a mind preoccupied with many things, a mind distracted with many cares, a mind drawn away from the chief object or purpose or duty.

 c. The manifestation of being distracted:
- Distractions usually lead to the neglect of our spiritual duties and privileges.

 d. The consequences of these distractions are dreadful: 'you are worried and troubled...'
- these distractions shall burden a child of God with worries and troubles. The word 'worried' - 'merimnaoo' literally means breaking into pieces. Martha was 'going to pieces' over all the things she is distracted with.
- 'troubled' means to be disturbed or upset... emotionally in turmoil, agitated. The heart and mind are unsettled and ravaged with so many unnecessary cares...

2. Choose the One Good and Needful Thing
a. 'But one thing is needful"'
- A few things are necessary in life... but only one is good & needful.

 b. 'Mary has chosen that good part.' In contrast to His gentle rebuke to Martha, the Lord Jesus commended Mary for her choice - Mary has chosen to act differently from her sister Martha.
- what Mary did was a deliberate choice... an intelligent choice informed by the will of God... she did not just get carried along like Martha did... being distracted by the many unnecessary things in life.
- She consciously chose to do what is needed and what is good. By a deliberate choice, she chooses to sit at the Lord's feet.

 c. In what sense is Mary's choice the 'good' part? We can think of several reasons readily...
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What Constitutes Acceptable Worship

November 7, 2019
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/pfbid033C8yNJJZWv3NJRZf6RMfNYRTJHgSmrrn4uz3aNTDmDbM3cHCsF9MEdde7sNmot3Fl

What Constitutes Acceptable Worship

In our midweek meeting, we looked at chapter 22 of the 1689 CoF; there are 8 paragraphs, and we covered the first two. Some notes of the study:

1689.22. OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND THE LORD'S DAY

Introduction

a. The immediate historical context of this chapter was the controversy concerning "What constitutes acceptable worship?"
- Some insisted, "What is commanded is right, anything not expressly forbidden is permissible." Thus the church is free to innovate what is not expressly forbidden.
- Others insisted that the biblical doctrine is that in the worship of God, the church has NO authority to practice anything except what is expressly or by necessary inference enjoined by the word of God, i.e. "What is commanded is right, anything not commanded is wrong."
- This is known as the Regulative Principle of Worship; acceptable worship is strictly regulated by God Himself through His inspired Holy Scriptures.

b. The biblical argument for the Regulative Principle of Worship:
- It is the sole prerogative of God alone to determine the terms on which His creatures may approach Him in worship.  The Scriptures show that God exercises this prerogative, eg. Gen 4:1-5, Ex 20:4-6.
- When a man is conscious of the sovereignty of God and his salvation by free grace alone he will worship God in His terms. What a blasphemy for a man to think that he has any business in deciding how God is to be worshipped!
- The wisdom of Christ and the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures are denied by the addition of anything not expressly commanded into worship. Christ does not leave His redeemed people - with all their weakness, fickleness, ignorance and folly - without an adequate guide in the most important matter of worship.
- Since acceptable worship for the glory of God is a good work that a man of God is especially required to perform, then surely the Scriptures are adequate and able to equip the man of God for this blessed task. see Mt 28:20, 2Tim 3:16-17.
- The Scriptures explicitly condemns all worship that is not commanded by God (eg Gen 4:3-7; Lev 10:1-3;  Deut 12:29-32, 17:3; Josh 1:7; 23:6-8; Mt 15:13; Col 2:20-23). They are the sacrifice of fools, Ec 5:1.
- The introduction of extra-biblical practices into worship inevitably tends to nullify and undermine God's appointed worship (2Kg 16:10-18; Mt 15:3,8-9).
- 'O Lord, teach thy children to worship Thee acceptably.' Amen.*

1689.22.1
The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all; is just, good and does good to all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart and all the soul, and with all the might.(1)  But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God, is instituted by himself,(2) and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.(3)            1 Jer. 10:7; Mark 12:33  2 Deut. 12:32   3 Exod. 20:4-6

1. The Regulative Principle of Worship Stated (22:1)
a. The general duty revealed by nature:
- "The light of nature shows that there is a God..."
    : "... Who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is just and good, and who does good to all…"
    : "… and is, therefore, to be feared, loved and praised, called upon, trusted in, and  served..."
    : “… with all the heart and all the soul, and with all the might.”

- Worship is justly OWED to the Creator by the creatures made in His image for all these natural reasons.
- Man is left without excuse for not doing his just and reasonable duty.

b. The specific rules divinely revealed by the Holy Scriptures:
- Positively "But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God has been instituted by Himself…"
- Negatively: “… and so limited by his own revealed will…”
- Therefore:
    : "that he may not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of men...'
    : "... nor the suggestions of Satan.
    : He may not be worshipped “under any visible representations..."
    : "... or by any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures."

Q. How does this paragraph explain John 4:23-24
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

1689.22.2
Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to him alone;4 not to angels, saints, or any other creatures;5 and since the fall, not without a mediator,6 nor in the mediation of any other but Christ alone.7     4 Matt. 4:9,10; John 6:23; Matt. 28:19.   5 Rom. 1:25; Col. 2:18; Rev. 19:10.   6 John 14:6.    7 1 Tim. 2:5.

2. The Divinely Imposed Limits of Worship (22:2)
a. With respect to its object:
- Positively: "Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to Him (the Triune God) alone...'
- Negatively: "... not to angels, saints, or any other creatures."

b. With respect to the absolute necessity of a mediator
- "And since the fall, not without a mediator,” i.e. worship without a mediator is unacceptable.
- "... nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone".

Q. Why is worship to be given to God alone?
Q. Why the necessity of a mediator?
Q. Why is Christ alone the acceptable mediator?

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Q. On what ground did Christ make such an exclusive claim?

3. The NT Components of Worship (22:3-5a)

- to be continued